County adds new positions to jail, health departments

Several new county positions were approved on Tuesday by the Jasper County Board of Supervisors. The Jasper County Jail will have three new part-time positions while the Jasper County Health Department will have two new positions to help with extra needs in each department.

“We have a lot of tenure and there are leave of absences, vacation, time off,” human resources director Dennis Simon said. “It would be easier to manage the day-to-day operation with the three additional people.”

The addition at the jail will help reduce overtime pay and give staffers time off. The part-time positions will start at $18.10 per hour, which saves the county $15 in overtime costs in the system that is currently being used.

For Jasper County Health, the two new part-time positions will fill an overflow need when the department is busier than normal.

“These will be only utilized for school evaluations, if we have an epidemic, vaccinations — whatever they need that is above and beyond the normal,” Simon said.

Simon said the department has the funds in its budget to support two positions without requesting additional money from the county.

The sheriff’s office also added two part-time transport officers to the lineup. Paul Higginbotham and Brandon Huggins will start at $13.28 per hour effective on Oct. 11.

In other business:

• A software contract with Cott Software Services was approved for renewal. The services are used by the Jasper County Recorder’s Office.

• Jasper County Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Chaz Allen gave an update on work throughout the county including General Electric renewing its contract with TPI in Newton through 2020.

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com